Traction-wheel.



No. 716,688. Patenfed Dec. 23, I902.

R. L. BUTCHER.

5s: INVENTOR /W I L T UNITED STATES ATENT Cl nics.

ROBERT LEVI DUTCHER, OF STITES, IDAHO.

TRACTION-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 716,688, dated December 23, 1902.

Application filed March 12, 1902.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT LEVI BUTCHER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Stites, in the county of Idaho and State of Idaho, have invented new and useful 1m provements in Traction-Wheels,-of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to traction-wheels, more particularly of the type used for traction-engines and all heavy self-propelling vehicles.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indidate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a side elevation of a wheel embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged section through the tread on the line to w of Fig. 3, and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan of the tread.

The hub 1 is provided with spokes 2, to which is fastened the tread 3 in the usual manner. The tread is provided centrally with an annular swell 4, terminating in an annular rib 5, this rib being provided with enlargements 6, in which are the holes '7. At right angles to the rib 5 and so disposed as to interrupt the same are the mud-cleats 8, which are of su fficient depth to project slightly beyond the surface of the rib 5. By reason of the tread 3 having the annular swell 4 an annular trough 9 is provided, and this trough is liable to catch more or less water when the wheel is exposed to the rain. The holes 7, extendingfrom the trough 9 centrally through the rib 5, allow this water to escape, and the swell 4 serves to strengthen the wheel, as does also the annular rib. The mud-cleats like-- wise serve to strengthen the wheel, because, in addition to their usual function, they act as braces and support both the rib and the swell of the wheel.

All of the parts mentioned brace and strengthen each other, so as to give the greatest amount of strength for a given weight of material. The mud-cleats are provided with angles 10 11 for the purpose of preventing undue wear in the regions toward the ends thereof.

Serial No. 97,863. (No model.)

It will be observed in Fig. 2 that the cleats project radially outward a little beyond the outer edge of the annular rib and at right angles to the same. The object of this arrangement is to enable the mud-cleats to bite slightly into the ground and at the same time to allow the annular rib to act as the outer surface of any wheel normally actsthat is to say, where the ground is tolerably hard the annular rib rolls upon its surface a good deal after the manner of the circumference of any other wheel, whereas the mud-cleats are free to bite slightly into the surface of the ground in order to afiord traction.

I have found after many years of experience with traction-wheels that the form above described gives better results than any other form and that its action is well adapted to dififerent kinds and different conditions of road.

It will be noted that wheels of this type can be made for indiscriminate use upon either side of a vehicle, so that a so-called righthand wheel will beexactly like a so-called left-hand wheel. It will also be noted that because of the shape of the swell 4 and of the fact that the rib 5 extends inwardly therefrom the spokes of the wheel may be made shorter and the wheel thereby strengthened considerably. This is a great advantage in practical construction.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Pat-ent A traction-wheel, comprising a tread provided with a cylindrical rim strengthened by an annular swell disposed centrally thereof, and by an annular rib equatorially mounted upon the exterior of said swell, said rib being provided with equidistant enlargements, mud-cleats integral with said swells, with said rib and with said tread, said mud-cleats being of greater depth than said rib and said enlargements, thereby protecting the same when the wheel is in motion, the interior of said wheel constituting a trough incidental to the shape of said swell, said tread being provided with drip-holes extending from the bottom of said trough through said enlargements of said rib, a hub concentric with said tread, and spokes connected with said hub In testimony whereof I have signed my and also connected with said tread at divers name to this specification in the presence of points adjacent to said mud-cleats and said two subscribing witnesses.

drip-holes, the spokes connected adjacent to ROBERT LEVI DUTCHER. the drip-holes being disposed alternately with Witnesses:

the spokes connected adjacent to the mud- MATTHEW SCULLY,

cleats. R. H. RIG-GS. 

